Pan Macmillan to publish 'definitive' biography of 'Britain’s Bill Gates' Mike Lynch

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Pan Macmillan has acquired the biography of late British tech tycoon Mike Lynch.

Editor Ause Abdelhaq bought world English language rights to Impossible Odds: The Epic Life and Tragic Death of Mike Lynch by Times’ technology business editor Katie Prescot from Jonathan Conway at Jonathan Conway Literary Agency, and will publish the book in hardback, trade paperback, e-book and audio in February 2025.

"Mike Lynch was a maverick outsider of British business," the synopsis says. "From humble beginnings, he rose to become one of the UK’s richest men, selling enterprise software company Autonomy to Hewlett Packard for over £11bn in 2011, a sale which led to one of the biggest fraud cases in Silicon Valley history. After his acquittal in May, Lynch (alongside his daughter and five others) tragically died when his super-yacht Bayesian sunk off the coast of northern Sicily 72 days later. His co-defendant, Stephen Chamberlain, was killed on the same day, hit by a car in Cambridge."

The synopsis adds: "Drawing on extensive research and exclusive access to key sources, Impossible Odds follows Lynch’s dramatic rise and fall through to his unlikely and tragic death. It’s a thrilling story of money, power and deception, taking readers into a high-stakes world of corporate subterfuge and rivalries. Investigating one of the most fascinating men in the history of British business, Prescott reflects on Lynch’s legacy, outlining lessons from a truly unique life, which serve as both a warning and inspiration."

Abdelhaq said: "I am thrilled to be bringing this book to market. Katie’s deep reporting and keen investigative eye means that Impossible Odds should prove to be every bit as dramatic, surprising and—yes, impossible— as the man it chronicles."

Prescott added: "When I started working on this book earlier this year, no one could have foreseen the tragic events of August, which I believe only serve to make it even more important. I’m beyond excited to be working with Ause and his fantastic team at Pan. He is passionate about the subject and really grasps the nuances and subtleties of this very complex story.”